Dua before eating
The dua before eating is one word: bismillah. Everything else is an addition to it, and there is a fixed line for the meal you started without it.
Before eating, a Muslim says bismillah, in the name of Allah. The Prophet, upon him be peace, taught a boy eating with him: say bismillah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest you (Sahih al-Bukhari 5376). That is the whole of the required practice, and it takes a second.
If you forget and remember partway through the meal, you do not start again. You say bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah, in the name of Allah at its beginning and its end (Sunan Abi Dawud 3767). The dua for after the meal is on a separate page.
Sourced supplications
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismi‑llāh.
In the name of Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5376. The complete dua before eating. Nothing else is required.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
Bismi‑llāhi awwalahu wa ākhirah.
In the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3767. Say this if you forgot bismillah and remember mid-meal.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُ
Allāhumma bārik lanā fīhi wa aṭ‘imnā khayran minh.
O Allah, bless it for us and feed us better than it.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3455. Said over food; over milk the wording ends wa zidnā minh, and increase us in it.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيمَا رَزَقْتَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma bārik lanā fīmā razaqtanā wa qinā ‘adhāba‑n-nār.
O Allah, bless what You have provided us and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Widely taught as a supplication over food. Say bismillah first; this is an addition, not a replacement.
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
Frequently asked
What is the dua before eating?
Bismillah, in the name of Allah. The Prophet taught it in Sahih al-Bukhari 5376 alongside eating with the right hand and eating from what is nearest. No longer wording is required before a meal.
What do Muslims say before eating?
Bismillah. Many people add allahumma barik lana fima razaqtana wa qina 'adhaba-n-nar, O Allah bless what You have provided us and protect us from the Fire, but bismillah on its own is the sunnah.
What if I forget to say bismillah before eating?
Say bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah as soon as you remember, in the name of Allah at its beginning and its end. Sunan Abi Dawud 3767. The meal is not invalid and nothing is repeated.
Is the dua before drinking different?
No. Say bismillah before drinking as before eating, drink in three breaths rather than one, and say alhamdulillah after. Sahih Muslim 2028 records the three breaths.
Is the iftar dua said before or after eating?
Before. At sunset in Ramadan you say bismillah and break the fast; the reported wording dhahaba-z-zama' wa-btallati-l-'uruq wa thabata-l-ajr in sha Allah (Sunan Abi Dawud 2357) is said after breaking it.
Do children say the same dua?
Yes. The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 5376 is the Prophet teaching a child at the table exactly this: say bismillah, use your right hand, eat from what is in front of you.
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